Phonograph reproducer adapter



Dec. 22, 193.1. w, HULL PHONOGRAPH REPRODUCER ADAPTER l 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet -l Inventor: Albert W. Hull; b5 l-lis A't-to'r-nel Dec. 22, 1931. W, HULL 1,837,967

PHONOGRAPH REPRODUCER ADAPTER Filed Feb. 4. 1925 .2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor: Albf't W. Hull,

Hi5 At-torneg.

Patented Dec. 22, 1931 NITED STATES ALBERT w. HULL, on

SCHENEGTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRI COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK PHONOGRAPH BEPRODU'GER ADAPTER Application filed. February 4, 1925. Serial No. 6,837.

My invention relates to improvements in phonograph reproducer adapters.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a simple type of adapter by means of which the phonograph may be used at will either as a talking machine operated by its own reproducer and suitable sound records or asa loud speaker of a radio set.-

Another object of my invention is to provide an adapter structure which may be readily applied to existing types of phonographs and which will permit alternate use of the instrument as a talking machine or loud speaker as desired without necessitating the dismantling of the reproducer structure or the use of complicated devices.

A still further object of my invention is to so dispose both types of reproducer upon the player head or analogous portion of a phonograph that the manipulation involved in bringing either reproducer into action will not involve more effort than that required for operating the ordinary type-of reproducer.

Another object of my invention is to so arrange the structure of the adapter that resonant interference of the reproducers with each other will be avoided so that either one may be employed at will without danger of inducing the production of disturbing noises by the diaphragm of the other.

It is well known that the sound box of the average disc phonograph is capable of producing remarkably faithful reproduction of music and speech which is due to the advanced state of the phonograph cabinet making art. This has resulted in extensive conversion of existing phonograph cabinets into radio loud speakers.

Such conversion is generally effected by replacing the ordinary phonograph reproducer, which is generally disposed upon a player head attached to a tone arm leading to the sounding box, by a telephonic. receiver of suitable design. The methods hitherto used for attaching the telephonic receiver to the player heads are verycumbersome and inconvenient in that it is necessary to disconnect the phonograph reproducer from the player head and to lay it aside While the telephonic attachment is being used, the

latter being usually retained in place by complicated fittings. Attempts have been made to mount both types of reproducer permaan adapter by means of which both types of reproducer may be permanently retained upon the phonograph so that only a simple manipulation is required to place either in nonresonant operating position.

For a consideration of what I believe to be my invention reference is had to the following specification and the accompanying drawings while the novel features of the device will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification like numerals of reference refer to similar parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 shows the preferred embodiment of my invention in cross section with the loud speaker unit in operative position.

Fig. 2 illustrates a side view thereof.

Fig. 3 depicts a cross section of the same embodiment with the" phonograph unit in operative position.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the same.

Fig. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of my invention with the loud speaker unit in operative position.

Fig. 6 illustrates a side view of the same.

Fig. 7 is a cross section of the same embodiment showing the phonographic unit in operative position.

Fig. 8 is a side view of the same.

Referring in detail to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, it will be observed that the adapter of my invention in its preferred embodiment comprises a metal tube 1 provided with a flange 2 at one end by means of which it may be attached to the cover 3 of a telephone receiver 4' by screws 5 or other means. If desired,," of course, this flange may be made sufficiently large so that-it may itself act as the "cover of the telephonev receiver and be suitably retained thereon by means of an internally threaded flange adapted to fit the threaded casing of the telephone receiver after the fashion of the moulded cover ordinarily used. The tube 1 at its other end carries threads 6 by means of which it may be screwed into the player head 7 of the phonograph. A shoulder 8 is provided on the tube 1 in order to insure correct positioning of the tube in the player head.

The tube 1 terminates beyond the threaded portion in an oblique baflle plate or wall 9,

i the function of which is to deflect the sound into the opening 10. The player head 7 which is pivotally disposed in the tone arm 11, in the well known manner, carries the mechanical or sound record reproducer 12 and need not be altered in any way but care should be taken so to proportion the threads 6 as to insure the correct positioning of the adapter within the player head in order that the opening 13 in the tube coincides with the opening 10 of the tone arm when the player head 7 is turned back and the telephone receiver 4 brought into operating position.

The operation of the device is apparent from the drawings. \Vhen it is desired to use the sound record reproducer 12 the player head 7 is brought forward so as to bring the stylus 14 of the phonograph re-' producer 12 in contact with the record 15 as is shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. The opening 13 in the adapter will thus be caused to face the solid portion 16 of the tone arm.

The baffle plate or deflecting wall 9 will prevent the vibrations of the air column in the player head 7 from impinging upon the diaphragm 17 of the telephone receiver, while free passage is permitted from the player head of the tone arm 11 through the openings 13 and 10. When it is desired to use the apparatus as a loud speaker the player head 7 is turned back as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, whereupon the opening 13 of the adapter will coincide with the opening 10 in the tone arm 11 and thus permit the sound produced by the telephone receiver 4 to pass into the tone arm 11 while on the other hand the opening 13 in the player head 7 leading from the phonograph reproducer will be caused to face the solid portion 16 of the tone arm 11 while the baffle plate 9 will prevent sound vibrations from reaching the diaphragm 17' of the phonograph reproducer. It will therefore be impossible for one reproducer to cause resonant interference with the other.

Another embodiment of my invention is shown in Figures 5 to 8 inclusive. In this case a tube 18 which is attached to the cover 3 of the telephone receiver 4 in the manner described for tube 1 of Fig. 1, is adapted to slide freely within a sleeve 19 which is A hole 23 is located near the uppermost end I of tube 18. When it is desired to use the telephonic or loud speaker unit 4 the tube 18 is pushed in until the hole 23 coincides with opening 10 of the tone arm 11 as is shown in Fig. 5. It is a parent that vibrations of the air column in uced in tube 18 by the diaphragm 17 of the telephonic receiver 4, will be forced to depart by way of tone arm 11 and will be prevented from entering the phonographic reproducer 12 by the cap 20. \Vhen on the other hand it is desired to reproduce a phonograph record, the phonographic reproducer 12 is tilted forward and the tube' 18 is pulled out as is shown-"in Fig. 7.

This operation causes the hole 23 to face the solid wall of sleeve 19 and brings opening v13 of the phonographic re roducer 7 into alignment with opening 10 o the tone arm 11. The sound vibrations produced by repro-v ducer 12 will thus be blocked from reaching the diaphragm 17 of telephonic reproducer 4.

The adapter of my invention is readily attached to the player head of any phonograph since it may be substituted for the retaining screw ordinarily used. Inasmuch as the adapter is pivotally disposed within the tone arm bearings it will be balanced with respect to the player head so that no additional weight will be exerted upon the record when the phonograph reproducer is brought into action.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a device of the character described the combination of a tone arm, a player head attached to said tone arm, a mechanical reproducer disposed on one portion of said player head and adapted to reproduce sounds from a sound record, aielephonic reproducer disposed on and fixed to another portion of said player head and adapted to reproduce sounds electrically transmittedthereto, said reproducer having operative and inoperative positions, and means associated with said player head to prevent resonant interference between the said mechanical and electrical reproducers when either is in operative position.

2. In a phonograph the combination of a tone arm, a player head pivotally disposed thereon, a plurality of reproducers having operative and inoperative positions fixed to said player head, one of said reproducers being adapted to reproduce sound from a sound record and the other reproducer being adapted to reproduce sounds electrically transmitted thereto, and means disposed intermediate said reproducers and associated with said player head to prevent resonant interference between said reproducers, said means comprising a tube integrally associated with one of said reproducers, said tube being closed at the extremity remote from the reproducer and having an opening adjacent said closed portion adapted to coincide with the opening in the tone arm only when the reproducer to which said tube is attached is in operative position.

3. In a phonograph arranged to operate selectively with both a mechanical sound reproducer and an electrical sound reproducer and having a tone arm provided with a player head pivoted thereto, an attachment compris ing a tube adapted at one end to be attached to the electrical sound reproducer the other extremity of said tube being disposed in operative relation to said tone arm and secured to the player head to rotate therewith, said tube being provided with a bafile plate and an opening adjacent thereto so disposed that when the electrical sound reproducer is in operative position the opening in the tube attached thereto is in communication with the tone arm, the bafile plate blocking the passage of sound into the non-operating mechanical sound reproducer and preventing resonant interference between the reproducers.

4. A phonograph comprising a mechanically actuated sound reproducing device having an operative and an inoperative position, an electrically actuated sound reproducing device, a tone arm connected with said devices and means for selectively controlling the transmission of sound, from said devices to the tone arm in accordance with the position of the mechanically actuated device.

5. A phonograph comprising a tone arm, a mechanically actuated sound reproducing device adjustably mounted therein and having an operative and an inoperative position, an electrically actuated sound reproin which the stylus is out of engagement with the record, an electrically actuated sound reproducing device, and means connecting said devices so constructed that when said first device is moved to its inoperative position 8. A phonograph comprising a sound reproducing device having a stylus adapted to engage a phonograph record, a tone arm upon which said device is adjustably mounted for movement to an inoperative position in which the stylus is out of engagement with the record, an electrically actuated sound reproducing device, and valve means connected to and operated by said first device in moving to its inoperative position to place said tone arm in sound transmitting connection with said electrically actuated sound reproducing device and out of sound transmitting connection with said first device.

9. In sound reproducing apparatus, the

combination with an amplifier duct, of a sound conduit journaled at one end of said duct, means dividing the interior of the conduit into separate compartments, a phonograph reproducer carried by said conduit in association with one ofsaid compartments and movable by rotation of the conduit in itsjournal into operative and inoperative positlons, the associated compartment having a port adapted to communicate with the amplifier duct when the said reproducer is in operative position and to be disconnected from said duct when the reproducer is in the inoperative position, and a telephone receiver unit operatively associated with the other I compartment of said conduit, the latter compartment having a port adapted to communicate with the amplifier duct when the phonograph reproducer is in inoperative position and to be disconnected from the said duct when the phonograph reproducer is in the operative position.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 3rd day of February, 1924.

ALBERT W. HULL. 

